SOUTH BAY CHAMPIONS Insolence made a big return to the Cactus Club last Friday (April 27) with Motiv, Divided and Major Liegue opening. Lots of fans turned out to see one of the South Bay's most popular bands. Insolence signed to Maverick Records last fall, and the band's label debut, Revolution, is due in stores June 12. The album was initially scheduled for a May release, but vocalist Mark Herman says the artwork is responsible for the delay. According to drummer Mando Cardenas, the band isn't planning to release a single or a video but instead plans to hit the road and build its fan base organically--or, as he says, "old-school style." Still, Snake River Conspiracy's frontwoman Tobey Torres was mingling with the crowd and passing out Insolence promo discs with the songs "Poison Well" and "1-2, 1-2."

This is the third time Insolence has hit the Bay Area in recent months. The band has performed separate shows at Maritime Hall supporting both Insane Clown Posse and Soulfly. But the San Jose show was like a friendly gathering where everybody knew the band and the songs. The vocalists dipped their mics into the crowd at the front of the stage and let the audience sing for them. Todd Kubiak from Motiv as well as a former member of Criminal Network also jumped onstage briefly to take on the mic. All in all, Insolence has a great rapport with the familiar audience, and after kicking off with "Poison Well," the band included "Head 2 Head," "Natural High," "Sick" "Revolution," "Get Up," "Bankrupt," "1-2, 1-2," Death Threat" and the classic "Front" in its near-45-minute set. The band is currently featured in the Sylvester Stallone movie Driven.

The biggest news of the week is the closing of the Fishbowl, a teens-only space in Sunnyvale. Read the full story.

The Lido is moving its "I Want More" music night from Tuesdays to Thursdays starting May 3. The What Four and Tread Asphalt Trio are scheduled to perform. I caught Woodshed and Operator: Generator there last Tuesday (April 24), and Insolence's Billy "Mech 1" Rosenthal was hanging out at the show. Woodshed has only played a handful of shows so far, but the band (which features vocalist Erik Kliver, bassist Christian Llanos, guitarist Steve McAulay and drummer Derek Sakai) was impressive, and a sizable crowd showed up. Woodshed's tall, lanky frontman (Kliver) is a sweaty ball of fire onstage, and the band's tunes bring to mind the music of rock bands like the Black Crowes and classic Aerosmith, with a heaviness suggestive of Tool. Operator: Generator didn't crank the volume up quite as high as it normally does, but it was still loud. The elusive band's heading out on a U.S. tour soon. ... Krenshaw is holding a CD-release party for its latest full-length, Lazy i (which is already available at Streetlight Record and Rasputin in San Jose and the CD Warehouses in Sunnyvale and Newark), at the Cactus Club on June 16. Woodshed will be part of that lineup, along with Breach, Reaction 31, Mallet and special guests.

Country superstar duo Brooks & Dunn bring the Neon Circus & Wild West Show to Shoreline Amphitheater Saturday (May 5). Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry and Keith Urban are part of the lineup. Cledus T. Judd will emcee the event. Urban will make an early appearance on May 5 at noon at the Tower Records in Mountain View to sign autographs and pose for photos.

It almost didn't survive to celebrate its 10-year anniversary, but there will be a SoFA Festival this year. It will be held Sept. 16 in downtown San Jose. There's an opening act/live band contest for Bay Area bands who want a slot on one of SoFA's outdoor stages. The deadline for entry is July 30. Send tapes or CDs, bios and photos to: Opening Act/Live Band Contest, c/o Gary Walker Productions, 12805 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek, 95006. Vendor space is also available. Contact Sheri at 831.338.2578 for details.

Bon Jovi's One Wild Night tour stopped at the Compaq Center April 23. Read a review of the concert.

PLAN AHEAD: Cinco de Mayo Bomb with Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Ginuwine and others, May 3 at the Compaq Center; Gary Numan, May 4 at the Fillmore in San Francisco; Floppy Rods, Funkranomicon, Chub and others, May 4 at the Cactus; the Secrets, Bodies in the Basement and Neon Lobster, May 4 at Kleidon's; Iron Cross, the Vex and others, May 6 at the Cactus; Noelle Hampton, Hope Child, Picnic and Snapper, May 10 at the Usual; Blues Traveler, May 12 at Piers 30-32 in San Francisco; Mix Master Mike, June 15 at the Catalyst; Spinal Tap, June 10 at the Warfield in San Francisco.